This invention relates to a soil scraping device, and particularly a soil scraping device which can be mounted to the rear of a tractor, and which will scrape the ground at a point spaced a substantial distance from the wheels of the tractor.
Often drainage ditches in rural areas become filled with silt and require cleaning out. Conventional implements for farm tractors are ineffective for this purpose unless the tractor is driven into the ditch so that the implement can engage the bottom of the ditch. This often is impossible to do, however, since the ditch is often wet and muddy and the tractor can become bogged down when it is driven into the wet soil.
Presently known scraper blades for mounting on the three point hitch of tractors, are located in close vicinity to the tractor so that they cannot reach the bottom of the ditch unless the tractor is driven into the ditch.
Under present conditions, farm tractors are generally ineffective for scraping out the bottom of a ditch. It is therefore necessary for the farmer to hire a bulldozer or a backhoe device to come in and clean out drainage ditches. Both of these procedures are very expensive, and therefore farmers often do not properly tend to the drainage ditches around their farms.
Therefore, a primary object of the present invention is the provision of an improved scraping device and method for using same.
A further object of the present invention is the provision of an improved scraping device which may be mounted to the three point hitch of a tractor and which will engage the bottom of the ditch while the tractor is positioned outside the ditch.
A further objective of the present invention is the provision of a scraping device which permits the scraper blade to be moved in a scooping action, so that it can scoop out the loose silt at the bottom of the drainage ditch.
A further object of the present invention is the provision of a scraping device which permits the scraper blade to smooth out the silt which is scraped from the bottom of the drainage ditch.
A further object of the present invention is the provision of a scraping device which applies a pushing action to the blade at the time the blade is engaging the mud and silt at the bottom of a drainage ditch.
A further object of the present invention is the provision of a scraping device which has a frame located sufficiently far above the scraping blade to prevent the frame from hanging up on the ditch bank, disturbing the ditch bank, and hanging up on the trash and limbs which might be within the ditch whenever the blade is lowered to the bottom of the ditch.
A further object of the present invention is the provision of a device which is simple in construction, economical to manufacture, and durable in use.